


Korishabetto - Tale of a Prince and a Pauper

by sakuchii



Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Atsuya as Prince, F/M, Feels, Generally just many CCxOC, Good vs Evil, Magical Elements, Major Original Character(s), Prophecy, Romance, Shirou as Pauper, Super old fic, actually this is a SYOC story, almost ten years anniversary of the fic, and the story repeats itself again, fight against the time, multiple major OC's, supposed bed time story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24780889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakuchii/pseuds/sakuchii
Summary: It was never supposed to happen.When a group of wizards decide to add a simple twist in fate, the history gets rewritten. Atsuya Fubuki II, a Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Snow, someone bored in his life for being treated as the puppet of his personal maid, never thought he would cross paths with Shirou, a pauper who resembled him to the point it's creepy. Shirou Fubuki, on the verge of death, could've never imagined that he would meet someone who eventually brought him to his real family.A twist in fate brought the two of completely different status together and they decided to switch places. With this the long hidden secrets of Royal Family are slowly getting revealed and a battle for lives starts.
Relationships: Fubuki Atsuya/Original Character(s), Fubuki Shirou/Original Character(s), Kiyama Tatsuya | Kiyama Hiroto | Gran/Original Female Character, Midorikawa Ryuuji | Reize/Original Female Character, Nagumo Haruya | Burn/Original Character(s), Suzuno Fuusuke | Gazel/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue: Tell Me A Bedtime Story, I Can’t Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> It's finally time for me to start this journey again. Korishabetto - Tale of a Prince and a Pauper is one of my first multi-chapter stories I started back in 2011. It's come a long way, and now we're back to the beginning. While it feels weird to start from scratch at the same time I believe I can give so much more depth to this story, now that I have clear view of what I expect from it. 
> 
> Updates will be every now and then, as I slowly work on rewriting this work.

Two women in the middle of their twenties were sitting in the kitchen and chatting happily. It was already evening and they were having some tea before going to put their children to bed. They both had an identical indigo-colored hair, but their hair styles differed significantly. One of them had her hair free and it was lying on her shoulders; her eyes were amber-colored. Meanwhile the other one had tied her hair up in a red ribbon and her eyes were copper-colored. 

It was a sudden outburst into laughter that broke their friendly chatting. The two women laughed till tears. While drying out her wet eyes, the copper-eyed woman glanced at the clock and froze. She slammed her arm on the table, aghast. “Look at the time! We have to get the boys to bed.” She stood up from the seat and headed towards the living room. She hadn’t even realized how the time was passing by. It was much past their bedtime. 

In the living room two boys at the age of five were running around and played happily. They both had paper planes in their arms and threw them into the air, after which they rushed after them. At the same time they were imagining as if they were pilots and talked to each other via walkie-talkies. 

“Okay. It’s about time you finish your games. It’s bedtime.” The copper-eyed woman said to her son and his cousin. Her voice was calm and natural. It was the same voice she used when speaking to her son, and she knew he would react to it, not needing another notice.

As a response to her words, an icy blue-haired boy with teal-colored eyes stopped running and turned to his mother. There was a short gaze between them, and finally the boy went to put away his paper plane and walkie-talkie. After that he came to his mother’s side. His good manners were thanks to the parenting he had received. 

Now there was only one problem. 

The copper-eyed woman turned to the other boy. He had also stopped playing, realizing his play friend leaving him all of a sudden. The boy stared at his cousin and then at his aunt. He then pursed his lips. “I don wanna! Not yet!” The spiky red-haired boy revolted with a sour voice and suddenly dashed into running. 

And so they were back to square one. The copper-eyed woman had to restrain all of her powers, so that she wouldn’t burst into anger. She held back, knowing that yelling at children would do no good. Also her temper wasn’t so short that she would snap in such a situation. 

That, unlike her sisters. 

"NAGUMO YUUYA! INTO THE BEDROOM, RIGHT NOW!"

“YES MOTHER!” The spiky-haired boy jumped in a startle and dropped everything he was holding. At the very next second he was already dashing towards his room and quickly hid under the blanket. The teal-eyed boy watched his cousin disappearing into his room and then took a quick glance at his mother and her older sister. 

Without any further words, he joined his cousin, sharing a bed with him.

As soon as the presence of the two boys was no longer in the room, the two women burst into laughter. “Nee-san your acting skills, as always, are top class.” The younger one of the women complimented her sister. 

“Thanks, Yuki-chii.” The other woman thanked. “You have to be able to do at least that much, if you want the part of a leading actress.” She then added while winking her eye. 

Her expression then softened as she turned to look at the room of her son. “You can’t let your guard down even with your own son.” 

Suzuno Yukiko nodded in agreement. The sisters along with their husbands were all childhood friends, and having grown up together, Yukiko knew her sister’s husband well. The young son shared his personality with his father, and she had to agree that one couldn’t let their guard down with them.

“Maybe we should go. I think they’ve calmed down.” Nagumo Aiko laughed, and glanced at her sister. Yukiko nodded and the twin sisters quietly entered the bedroom, where their sons were lying on a double bed. 

Yukiko took her sons side, as Aiko went to the side of her son. She realized that even now, he was still hiding under the blanket while trembling lightly. A smile escaped from her lips and she knelt down, slowly caressing her sons head. “It’s alright, Yuuya. I’m sorry for yelling at you…” She apologized. 

The boy under the blanket moved anxiously and finally peeked out, just enough to look at his mother with his golden eyes. “Apology accepted.” He finally mumbled and took hold of Aiko’s hand. A light smile escaped from the woman’s lips and she hugged her son. 

Seeing his cousin being hugged, Suzuno Kazuya turned to his mother and stared at her with begging eyes. Yukiko chuckled and took her son into motherly embrace. “Now, it’s time to sleep.” She whispered quietly. 

Kazuya smiled and closed his eyes. He did try to fall asleep, but was unable to. Something inside him wasn’t willing to sleep yet. And the fact that his cousin rolled in the bed non-stop, trying to find a comfortable position, didn’t help him at all. The teal-eyed boy sighed and turned to his other side. 

When it seemed that her son had finally managed to calm down, Aiko stood up and was about to leave. Unexpectedly, something grabbed the hem of her skirt and she turned around in surprise. Yuuya had gotten up, and was sitting on the bed while holding onto her hem. “Say… Oka-san?” He asked in a quiet voice while looking away from her. His legs where moving restlessly and he couldn’t decide where to fix his eyes. 

Aiko smiled gently, and knelt before her son. She didn’t need to be a genius to know that he was obviously bothered about something. “Yes?” She asked, while looking straight into Yuuya’s golden eyes. The boy couldn’t take much of her gentle glance, and with blushing face looked down awkwardly. 

“When…” The little boy tried to gather his courage to ask that one simple question. Finally, he managed to calm his nerves and looked up. “When is Dad coming back?” His sincere eyes sparkled, like that of an innocent child. He was concerned, and at the same time very worried. 

The sudden question had taken the young mother by surprise, and a silence filled the room. Aiko stared at her son whose eyes were tearing up. Yukiko gasped at the comment made by the kindergartener, and hugged her son, who too sat up in the bed and was staring at his cousin. 

It took a moment for Aiko to recover, and finally she sighed while smiling kindly at her son. “Yuuya-kun, Dad will come back very soon, I’m sure of it.” She patted Yuuya’s head and then embraced the boy. She had never imagined that he would be so concerned about the matter. Of course he would have his doubts, she had never had the time to explain where his father was. Aiko felt as her eyes started to water. 

Nagumo Haruya, Suzuno Fuusuke and the twins were childhood friends. They had met in early childhood thanks to a common sport they all loved, soccer. As children they had always played and trained together all the time. It was once they entered high school that the twins decided to stop playing soccer daily. Aiko started her job as a singer and actress to pursue her childhood dream, and Yukiko wanted to enjoy normal high school life. 

The girls may have stopped playing soccer, but it didn’t mean that the boys did. They also were pursuing their dreams to become professionals, and achieved it not long after high school. Due to representing Korea in the FFI during their Jr. High days, they signed a contract to Korea’s national team.

Once the twins had graduated from high school, a double-wedding was held. The husbands were often away on matches, but they kept in contact through phone calls, postcards and video calls. Aiko had her life completely occupied with her work, and Yukiko started drawing manga to fill the lonely hours of her life with something. Her editor and assistants were the ones who kept her sane through difficult times. 

Few years passed by and the twins soon found out that they were pregnant. Aiko gave birth to their son, Yuuya, first and few months later Kazuya was born into the world. Both of the sisters had taken maternity leave for some time, to take care of their babies, but went back to work half a year later, employing a caretaker. The husbands had returned back home to see their sons being born. 

But then, where were they now? There is only one answer, and everyone knew it. They were back in Korea to participate in the World Cup. They had been away for months already and it made their sons anxious. They were missing their fathers and wishes to see them. 

“Are- Are you sure?” Yuuya sobbed lightly and wrapped his arms around Aiko’s neck. The indigo-heads eyes widened. It was true that his father had been away for a long time, but wasn’t his reaction overboard. There was something else hidden beneath his anxiousness. What had made him doubt his father so much? 

“Why do you ask?”

Yuuya glanced at his mother and his eyes started to water. He burst into tears all of a sudden. “Maybe… What if Dad found another woman, and isn’t coming back to us?” The image of his father standing next to some beautiful blonde woman was too much for him to handle. Kazuya stared at Yuuya from the other side of the bed and burst into tears. 

Yukiko took her son into her embrace and Aiko did the same to her son. They slowly caressed their backs, telling them it was alright, with the intentions to stop the trembling. Aiko’s words were soft, but her expression told inside her head was a mess. She had found out the reason for her son’s anxiousness, but who exactly had planted that idea into his mind? Such a young boy wouldn’t be able to come up with as ridiculous an idea as that.    
  
“And exactly who said that Dad would go to another woman?” Aiko trusted fully in her husband. Nagumo wasn’t exactly the type to act out all romantic and he was pretty hard on girls in the first place. His only passion was soccer and once his mind was occupied with something, he would erase everything else from there. There was no way he would have the luxury or even desire to play with women. Aiko was surprised enough that he even had enough time to contact her about their progress. 

And all the above implied to Suzuno as well. 

“But… But Afu-Ojisan…” Yuuya kept sobbing and Kazuya pulled his mother closer to him. He had buried his head in her chest and was crying out loud. “He said that, if Oto-san isn’t home for a long time…” The young red-head couldn’t bear to continue anymore. 

“It means, he doesn’t love Okaa-san anymore and has found a new woman.” Kazuya continued mumbling into his mothers’ chest. “Otoo-san will forget all about Okaa-san and I, and he won’t ever come back to us.” The boy continued. 

Yuuya snorted loudly and tried to wipe away the tears, but his face was already a mess. Aiko didn’t mind it and instead took the boy closer to her and let him rest his head against her chest. Hearing her heartbeat made the boy calm down a little, and he was now sobbing lightly. 

Aiko hummed quietly while caressing Yuuya’s head. Yukiko followed her sisters’ example and did the same to Kazuya. It seemed to work, as the boys’ trembling was slowly calming down as his breathing stabilized. 

“I don’t…” Kazuya mumbled between his sobs. “I don’t want Otoo-san to leave us… I don’t want him to love anyone expect Okaa-san.” The boy who had finally managed to calm down, suddenly burst into tears again. Yuuya followed his cousins’ example and they were back to where they had started. 

Yukiko showed a kind smile and caressed her sons head, wiping away the tears with her finger. “Idiot, of course Dad still loves us. He will come back soon with a great surprise.” The copper-eyed woman whispered gently. 

“So, please stop crying.” She begged and started to hum quietly. 

“Really?” The boys asked at the same time, their eyes brightening. Aiko and Yukiko glanced at each other and the sisters smiled. 

“Yes.” 

“That’s why you two should stop crying and head to bed.” Aiko laughed lightly as she gently pinched Yuuya’s nose. The boy reacted with a sudden cry and puffed up his cheeks after seeing the satisfying expression on Aiko’s face. Her prank had succeeded once again. The boy started sulking, which only made Aiko giggle lightly. 

“Yes, or do you want Dad to see your tears and find out that you cried because of him?” Yukiko questioned Kazuya, who immediately shook his head as an answer. Being as prideful as his father, the young boy wouldn’t let that happen. His mother was the only person to know that he had cried. 

“Then let’s go to sleep.” Yukiko smiled and helped Kazuya back to the bed, under the blanket. 

While they were covering their sons with the blankets, and calming them down, Aiko shot a darkened look at Yukiko.  _ ‘Next time we meet that blonde, remind me that I owe him a powerful slap.’  _   
  
Yukiko smirked at her sister and nodded. That guy would surely hear from them, and he deserved it – a good beating. What in the world was even going on inside his head, telling lies to innocent children? How much did he want to corrupt their mind? He wouldn’t get away so easily. 

Aiko and Yukiko sat near the bed and caressed their sons’ heads. They were both humming the same song, when Aiko suddenly started humming the harmony. The boys seemed amazed to hear dual melodies and their tears calmed down. 

Yuuya then took hold of Aiko sleeve. “What is it?” She asked. 

"Oka-san... will you tell me a bedtime story?" The red-head questioned, a little crimson covering his cheeks. He didn’t want his mother to leave yet; not until he was asleep; not until he was sure that his dad would come back, not until he was sure of his mothers’ feelings. But he couldn’t say that to her, his pride wouldn’t allow him to. That’s why he wished for her to tell him a bedtime story and stay by his side. 

Kazuya looked at his mother with the same kind of begging eyes. His feelings were exactly the same as his cousins. He didn’t wish for his mother to leave yet. He wanted to be with her just a little longer. Yukiko smiled and glanced then at her sister. Aiko nodded her head.

“Okay. What story do you want to hear?” The copper-eyed woman asked from the boys. 

Kazuya and Yuuya glanced at each other with thoughtful looks. After not managing to come up with anything, they then spoke in unison. “Anything is good.” 

Aiko smirked. “If anything is good, then we’ll tell you that story.” She said while glancing at her sister and the twins shared a mysterious smile. This, of course, caught the interest of their sons. 

“What story?” 

Just from Aiko’s expression Yukiko knew what story they were going to tell. It was a story that was precious to them. Something their friend had turned into a novel and later Yukiko had drawn a manga adaptation of it. Aiko had acted in a live-action series that was based off that fairytale.

But in the end, no one would know how the story would turn out. They both had quite crazy imaginations, so she was pretty sure that the story would be completely different from the original one. It would most likely be something closer to their friends’ novel. 

"The story is..." Yukiko started and glanced at her sister. Aiko nodded and opened her mouth to speak.

"The Prince and the Pauper."


	2. Tale One: Unexpected Announcement, Marriage?

In a far, faraway land where there are no cars, mobile phones, computers or any electronic items  that we have nowadays – in a land where dragons and wizards are adored, where magic is something rare but worshiped, is located  the Kingdom of Snow. 

There rules King  Fubuki XI, a sick ly and frail yet kind ruler, who is  be loved by all of his royal subjects and citizens. Our story will take place in this world,  where anything thought to be impossible in our own world is suddenly possible. The story  will take place in the capital city, where lives the main character of this story, the Crown Prince Atsuya Fubuki II…

But before we start with him, it seems that we have visitors. 

* * *

**-** **_The Wizardess and the Wizard_ ** **–**

“We’re FINALLY here!”  Happily exclaimed an exhausted girl , when she saw the capital city’s wall  spreading wide before her.  All of her clothing was black, including her cloak and hood, which covered her face.

“I’m glad Nee-san.” A voice behind her spoke, and the other person walked next to her. Like the  former girl, she also wore all black clothing, but the cloak  on her  was dark brown in color.  Her hood also covered her face from curious eyes. The two girls glanced at each other and flashed wide smiles. 

Finally. 

Finally, they had reached their final destination. 

“WHOA! What a pig caw-sul! It’s HAUGEE!” Yelled a child’s voice behind the girls all of a sudden. The girls turned around surprised upon hearing the voice. It seemed that the sleeping children were slowly waking up as their small heads peeked out from the wagon. Some of the children were yawning loudly, obviously having been woken by the shout, and they rubbed their sleepy eyes. One of the children was fully awake and he pointed at the city wall with his mouth wide open. 

The girl with the black cloak giggled. “You’re wrong, that’s not the castle, Haruya. It’s the new city we’re going to live in; Yukidaruma. The castle is found inside the city, but we’re not going there… yet.” 

“EH? It’s not the castly! Haruya wants to see the castly!” The boy started to whine in disappointment. Like the girls, he was also clothed  in a cloak, but his was deep crimson in color. His companions each had a cloak of their theme color ; dark blue, dark green and copper. Two of the boys were still nodding off, while the dark blue cloaked boy was staring at his friend and the city wall  towering over  them. 

It was then, when the worst possible  thing happened. The deep crimson cloaked boy’s hood dropped due to his constant movements. Two black things popped up from his head and were moving rapidly according to his mood. The tips had fallen down a little, to show his disappointment. 

The black cloaked girl's jaw dropped and her eyes glazed. She squeezed her fist as anger filled her body. The glazed eyes started to flame from rage. “HARUYA! How many times have I told you, to N EVER let your hood drop!? It would be  the disaster of the century if we’re found out!” She yelled, warning the crimson cloaked boy. 

If they were to be found out, it would be the end  of their journey, and they would have to return back home. If  that were to happen before everything was settled, then it would mean that their mission had failed. 

Protecting their identity was the most important thing. 

The crimson cloaked boy startled  by the sudden scolding, and quickly covered his head with  his hood. “Baka-neesan is MYEAAN ageein!!” He whined while glaring at the black cloaked girl, who answered  back to him with an intense look. The boy then puffed his cheeks and joined the other children, who were trying to get off the wagon. They had been travelling for so long, it was about time to feel  the ground under their feet and run around like innocent children. 

A black-haired man, with a matching cloak, glanced at the two girls, while helping the children off the wagon. “Crystal-sama, please don’t be so angry at him, he’s just a little kid.” He helped down the second  to last child, and was just barely fast enough to catch the last child, who stubbornly tried to get off on his own. Once the child had his feet safely on the ground, he ran after his friends. 

The man then walked to the two girls. He was the only guy in the group of seven who was around the age of the girls. In fact, he seemed to be even a f ew years older, reaching his late teens. The two girls were no older than their early teens. 

The black cloaked girl had pursed her lips, though her expression wasn’t visible under the hood. “And exactly how many times have I told you, NOT to call me by THAT name? It should be clear to you that I abandoned that name after that day.” 

_ 'Just how many ‘that’ can you have in one sentence? Not bad at all, Nee-san.'  _ The brown cloaked girl chuckled at her older sister. It was so funny that her sister started to stutter once she got enraged. She wasn’t exactly the greatest thinker, especially since she had the tendency to speak before thinking. 

“Moreover!” The black cloaked girl continued in a furious tone. “That guy there, is NOT a LITTLE KID! He has lived for a WHOLE YEAR longer than I have. And you know exactly what I mean by that.” She continued, crossing her arms on her chest while puffing her cheeks. Her whole face had gotten red due to the excitement. 

Out of the seven companions, the black-haired man was the eldest one out of them. He had been born a few years before the four boys that now had an appearance of little children. The two girls were the youngest ones despite clearly acting out as their leaders. They girls also were the only ones related to each other, being twin sisters, despite having been born on different days. 

“As you say, Crystal-sama.” The black-haired teen bowed at the twin sisters. He then left to look after the four boys, who were happily running around the wagon. Apparently one of the boys had fallen down and was crying loudly, having scratched his knee. The black-haired guy knelt down before the boy and lifted him up, comforting him. The boy sobbed lightly and his cries slowly calmed down. 

The black-cloaked girl had squeezed her fists and felt how the anger inside her kept growing. Her younger sister sighed and placed her hand on her sisters’ shoulders. “You should know very well that it’s pointless trying to talk to him. He called you by that name once, he will call you so always. That’s just the kind of guy he is.” The brown cloaked girl smiled and looked at the guy who was holding the sobbing child in his arms. 

Once the child wearing a green cloak had calmed down, the girl called everyone to come to them. The little kids ran excited to the girls, who both took one of the boys into their lap. Meanwhile the last two boys were lifted up by the black-haired man. 

The children laughed happily, while trying to play around. The crimson cloaked boy stuck out his tongue, to which the dark blue cloaked boy answered with a cold look. The other red-head, with a copped cloak chuckled at this and the green cloaked laughed, while his eyes were still slightly watering. The girls smiled at the boys and then glanced at each other. 

“Look boys.” The brown cloaked girl started and pointed at the city wall before them. “This is going to be our new home.” She continued with a smirk. It was big news to the kids, as they had been travelling continuously for years, not having a permanent place to stay at. Finally, they could settle down in a city. And not just any city, they were going to live in the capital. 

They boys’ faces turned first to  surprise and then they shouted in excitement. They skipped in the girls’ laps and laughed happily. Only the blue cloaked boy was quiet. He stared at the huge building with his mouth wide-open. He was awestruck. Her words played in his mind again; our new home. 

“New howem! It’s our NEW HOWEM! WE’RE GOING TO LIB IN A CAW-SUL!” The crimson cloaked boy celebrated in excitement. His golden eyes were sparkling so brightly it was as if the sun itself shined through his eyes. 

"BANZAAII!" the copper and dark green cloaked boy's laughed.

“It’s not a castle, though.” The brown cloaked girl commented, smiling lightly. She was so happy to see how pleased the little children were by the news. It might not be a real castle, but as long as they were happy, it was as if they were actually living in a castle. For travelers like them, finding a steady place to live in was the greatest happiness one could achieve. 

The older trio glanced at each other and then nodded. “Okay, okay enough with the celebrations! We should get going. We still have lots to do.”

* * *

**-** **_The Prince and the Maid_ ** **–**

His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Atsuya Fubuki II, Duke of Nisshoku and the only heir of His Royal Majesty, The King Fubuki IX and the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Snow, sighed loudly as he was leaning against the window of his room, staring outside. The busy capital city spread open before his eyes, and there he was, stuck inside the Royal Castle, with nothing in particular to do. He would’ve loved to go into the city, but it was out of the question, as the guards were to follow him everywhere. He had no freedom of his own, like most of the children from royal bloodlines. He was being held captive, and was unable to do things he wanted to. 

The worst part was that he was always being followed by his personal… 

A light knock was heard coming from the direction of the door, snapping Atsuya out of his daydreams. The Crown Prince took a final glance at the dreamy freedom out of his reach and turned his head towards the door in a burdensome manner. The massive wooden door opened awkwardly and a young girl around the age of Atsuya entered the room. Her silky hair was as brown as cinnamon and she had beautiful maroon-colored eyes. Closing the door behind her, the girl then bowed as a greeting. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke. 

“Your Highness, there are guests who would like to have a brief moment of your time for an audience with Your Royal Highness.” She told the bored Prince, who had obscured himself in his room in order to avoid meeting any other residents of the Royal Castle. His worst enemies were the random visitors, whom he despised due to their tattletale-nature. Atsuya couldn’t stand how they always enquired about His Royal Majesty’s condition, and hurried him to be crowned as the next King on his 16 th birthday, which would happen in a few months.

As long as his father was alive, Atsuya had no plans on standing in as the next ruler. The citizens and people of the Kingdom of Snow trusted and admired His Royal Majesty very much, and Atsuya wanted that to last for as long as possible. Accepting the coronation would mean he was killing off his own father. That was the only thing Atsuya didn’t want to happen, and so every mention of the coronation made him enraged. 

As a response to the girls’ words, Atsuya hissed in anger. The mention of guests brought very unpleasant thoughts to his mind and now he was fractious. The maroon-eyed girl smirked, as if faking a disappointed face. 

She continued, speaking in a very surprised sounding tone. “Oh my, then I’ll go tell Lord Gouenji that His Royal Highness is feeling agitated, and doesn’t wish to confront anyone today,” Her words sounded almost apologetic as she bowed deeply and headed towards the door. That was all a façade, and she knew she would be stopped.

Atsuya’s eyes widened as soon as he heard the name that belonged to his good friend, and yelled after the girl. “Mi-chan, wait.” He acted hastily, and realized a second too late that he had played right into her hands. 

“Yes?” A smile so wide, it almost reached her ears. 

It was a sign of her victory. Staring at the cinnamon-haired girl, Atsuya felt his cheeks start to burn from embarrassment. He couldn’t believe that once again she had managed to deceive him and reach the exact answer she aimed for. He hated how his personal maid could keep on deceiving him with those maroon-colored orbs of her. Was she just playing around with him, the Crown Prince? 

Anami Hitomi, whose family had served the Fubuki Royal family for generations, was the personal maid of Crown Prince Atsuya Fubuki II. The cinnamon-haired girl, who was called Mi-chan by the Prince, despite her young age, was a trainee to become the next head maid, and she was also to eventually become the personal maid of The King, as soon as Atsuya accepted the coronation. From all the servants in the castle, she was someone who many of them respected deeply. There weren’t many people who dared to upset her, in case she spoke poorly of them in front of the Prince. 

Atsuya had to force his anger back, trying to shake off the embarrassment at the same time. He saw the girl’s expression from the corners of his eyes and felt shame piling up once again. Her smug expression made him want to crawl underground. When would he finally win against her? 

“Tell Gouenji that I will grace him with my presence in a moment.” He finally managed to mumble and slowly got his noble stance back with every word spoken. 

“As you wish, Your Highness. Now, if you excuse me, I have an important message to deliver to Lord Gouenji.” The cinnamon-haired girl bowed deeply and exited the room while closing the door behind her. This time she was leaving for real, even if she had to do it in such an extravagant manner. 

As soon as the other presence had left the room, Atsuya sighed and fell down onto his colossal bed. The dominant colors of his rooms were red and gold, and his bed was no exception. Even the color of his outfit was red. There was no particular reason for it, but maybe it was due to the coloring of his room, that he had come to like the red color. 

The exhausted boy covered his face with his arm and sighed. No matter how many years had passed, he still felt uncomfortable being addressed as “His Highness” by the girl. The boy turned to his right side, moving restlessly. He still couldn’t believe that the girl, who had just a few years earlier called him by his name, was addressing him so formally nowadays. 

The Crown Prince sighed and closed his eyes, his memories wandering back to that day. 

* * *

**-** **_The Prince and the Maid_ ** **–**

_ The young Crown Prince was enjoying his stay inside the palace walls, wandering around the Royal Garden as his feet took him to his favorite cherry blossom tree that was stationed near the pond on the left side of the garden. He sat down under the tree and leaned back, closing his eyes. The light wind breezed through his hair and the boy fell into his thoughts with a peaceful expression on his face.  _

_ He was alerted awake, when he heard steps coming towards him. The pink-haired boy opened his left eye to take a peek at the coming person. Not much to his surprise, he saw a cinnamon-haired girl around his age running to him. She was wearing a dark blue full sleeved flock and had her hair tied up in a high ponytail. In her arms, she was holding a garland made out of the flowers she had picked in the garden; consisting of anemones, yellow camellias, daffodils, daisies, morning glories, zinnias and sweet pea.  _ **_(1)._ **

_ The Prince decided to close his eyes, and pretended to be sleeping.  _

_ The girl approached Atsuya and knelt down next to him. “Atsuya-kun! Atsuya-kun! Wake up.” She jolted the pink-haired Prince, but the boy didn’t move an inch. Once she realized that the boy wasn’t waking up, she gave up and just sat next to him.  _

_ She lifted her face to look at the sky and stared at it with a dreamy expression. The weather was exceptionally great that day, and the sun was shining bright from the indigo-blue sky, welcoming the flowers, birds and people to bath in the light. There was no sign of any clouds in the clear sky, which was a rare case in Snow Kingdom.  _

_ After a while, the girls’ maroon-colored orbs lost their shine and she sighed. Her eyes wandered to find the sleeping figure of the pink-haired boy. Once making sure that he was in deep sleep, the girl took the garland she had made and put it on Atsuya’s head. She then slowly turned away from the boy.  _

_ Feeling uncomfortable at the sudden silence between them, Atsuya peeked at the girl, wondering what was troubling her. Much to his surprise, he noticed how tears were forming into the corners of her eyes, while she tried her best to wipe them away with her sleeve.  _

_ The thought of waking up before the girl crossed Atsuya’s mind, but as soon as the girl once again turned to him, he decided to continue faking his sleep. Somehow, he felt like the girl would reveal more if he kept on pretending. She was clearly troubled by something and Atsuya wanted to find out what exactly it was.  _

_ The girl reached her arm toward the older boy and softly jolted his shoulder, hoping that this time he would wake up. “Hey, Atsuya-kun.” Her voice had a hint of bitter sweetness on it and it sounded almost like begging. Seeing that even this time she had no luck, and that he continued his deep sleep, the girl sighed. She wrapped her arms around her knees and glanced at the palace. _

_ “You know, Atsuya-kun…” She started speaking, even though she wasn’t completely sure if he would even hear her. The sourness of her voice ached inside Atsuya. “From tomorrow on, we can’t act so friendly anymore. I’m…” She kept a short pause, trying to think of the best words. “I’m finally taking the place as your personal maid, after all it is not so long until your 16th birthday. Given His Majesty’s condition you will most likely be crowned as the next King not long after that.”  _

_ The maroon-eyed girl showed a weak smile and wiped away the tears from her eyes. “I have to prepare for that day. Once you become the King, I need to be able to help you anyway you want to…” All of a sudden, her tone had gotten determined and firm, but the last words seemed to fade into the thin air. _

_ The Prince decided to take a peek to know what the cause of the sudden silence was.  _

_ His heart almost jumped out of his chest, when he saw the cinnamon-haired girl bawling like a small infant. Her whole figure slowly became a mess, as she tried her best to hold back her tears that of course wouldn’t stop, and at the same time dry the ones that were already falling.  _

_ Atsuya was at a loss as to what to do. This was the first time he witnessed the girl being so upset, more like, it was the first time he had ever seen her crying. The boy tried to think of anything that could help him to calm her down, something that always did the trick for him, but his mind was empty. Seeing his precious friend cry in front of his eyes made his mind go blank.  _

_ Atsuya could only lay down and wait anxiously for the girl to cry her heart out. He cursed himself for being unable to help the girl at such a point, even though she was always there for him, reaching out her helping hand. His mind was finally put at ease when the girl’s crying turned into light sobs.  _

_ The cinnamon-haired girl dried her eyes and sobbed a few more times. “But you know…” She finally managed to bring out her voice. “I will always be there for you; I will always be looking after you. Atsuya-kun, no matter what happens in the future, I will always be by your side.” She finally dared to look at the boy, despite her face being a mess, and was clearly disappointed to see his peaceful face.  _

_ Did he not know anything about discretion?  _

_ In a matter of seconds, her expression then changed from a pout into a sweet smile. She reached out towards the Crown Prince and laid a kiss on his forehead. Her maroon-colored eyes shined as she smiled. “Sleep well, My Prince.” After those words, the girl stood up, cleaned and fixed the hems of her frock. Giving a girly giggle, she then left the Prince’s side.  _

_ Atsuya sat up and felt as his head started to steam hot. His cheeks were burning as he stared at the happily hopping girl, who then slowly disappeared into the palace. Why had she said such words? Why had she done such a thing? He tried to figure out the answer, placing his fingers on the place she had just kissed. It felt so hot.  _

_ At that very moment the previous occasion flashed before his eyes. Once again, a crimson started covering Atsuya’s cheeks and he was unable to hold back his embarrassment.  _

_ This wasn’t good for his health.  _

* * *

**-** **_The Prince and the Count_ ** **–**

It was the first and last day Atsuya ever saw Hitomi crying before his eyes. It was also the last day she had called him “Atsuya-kun.” When they met each other the next day, her whole friendly figure had completely turned around and she was addressing him very formally, going around saying “Your Highness, His Highness.” That Hitomi he had once known disappeared along with the wilting garland. 

Feeling frustration piling up inside him, Atsuya yelled out loud and stood up. He wandered around his room for a moment, trying to calm down his nerves, but once he found it useless, he headed towards the door. He pulled it towards him and snuck out of his room, leaving it empty. 

It was about time he graced Gouenji with his presence. With that in mind, he started to head towards the west wing of the palace where the guest rooms were stationed. It was in the completely opposite direction from his own room. 

As he kept advancing through the corridors, he encountered many maids and butlers, who stopped upon seeing him and bowed as a greeting. Only after that they rushed to complete whatever they were tasked to do. 

The Crown Prince didn’t bother to greet them back. First of all, he was in a hurry. Second, why should he even? It was clear to everyone within the palace walls that he was THE Prince. The golden crown sitting on top of his head was a reminder of that. 

It was only after he had made it halfway, that he suddenly remembered Hitomi’s teaching, about how he should greet everyone regardless of their class and status. So, as he was approaching the west wing of the palace, where his friend was being lodged, he started to nod to everyone who was greeting him. 

This was all just to make sure that he wouldn’t get scolded by the maroon-eyed girl. A sigh escaped from the Crown Prince’s lips, as he started to wonder the reason for the sudden change in attitude. Hitomi was a person who stood strong in her beliefs and she had always reminded him that citizens liked a kind King more than a strong one. 

In fact, though he would never admit it to her in person, Atsuya found the girl very scary whenever she got angry. He would even go as far as to eat his own finger, if that was to calm her down, rather than confront her wrath. Atsuya had yet to meet something more frightening than his personal maid when she was enraged. 

So it wasn’t wise to agitate her for nothing. 

Atsuya made a final turn in the corridor, and the sight of a certain cinnamon-haired girl hinted that he had come to the right place. Hitomi was clothed in a maid uniform and stood in front of one of the doors, seeming as if she was waiting for someone. Once she heard steps coming towards her, the girl turned around. Her maroon eyes sparkled at the sight of Atsuya. “Your Highness, I’ve been waiting for you.” The girl announced formally. Her words were the polar opposite of her expression. 

Atsuya nodded lightly as an answer, and without a second thought reached his hand towards the door’s handle in order to open the door. His actions were stopped by the maroon-eyed girl. “Let me,” she spoke with a respectful tone and took hold of the handle. 

Crown Prince Atsuya shrunk back, startled, as soon as he felt her warm hand on top of his. Blinking his eyes in confusion, he felt as crimson slowly appeared on his cheeks. Once again, he had acted hastily and made a fool of himself. He had never felt that way, so he was unable to grasp the situation. The worst part was that Hitomi was staring at him with those dazzling maroon-colored orbs of hers.  **(2).**

As their eyes met, Atsuya remembered the words she had said to him years ago… _ “I will always be there for you; I will always be looking after you. Atsuya-kun, no matter what happens in the future, I will always be by your side.” _ Even after all these years, she was still by his side, even if their relationship was different from previously, she still remained near him. 

The Crown Prince looked down to avert his eyes from Hitomi’s, only to receive a bold smack on the back. In surprise, Atsuya raised his head and saw his maid glaring at him, while looking clearly displeased. “Fix your stance! His Highness should never look melancholy before his guests. Your Highness should know that very well.” The girl scolded him, her current sentence being one of the first things she had taught to him. 

A ruler was to never show one's weakness before his guests. 

After that the door was opened so quickly, that Atsuya had no time to react. Behind the door appeared a boy, who was close to Atsuya in age. He had white and spiky hair, sharp black eyes and tanned skin. The boy was wearing a green-colored tight suit that looked very uncomfortable to walk in. 

The boy, who was sitting in a marvelous red chair, stood up as soon as the door before him opened. He welcomed the guests with opened arms. “Atsuya, you finally made it here.” He greeted his old friend and the pink-haired Prince stepped into the room. He didn’t bother with the honorifics when addressing the Crown Prince, as the two boys had been together since they were infants. Gouenji was one of the few people who had the right to call the rebellious Prince by his first name. 

“Sorry to make you wait, Gouenji.” Atsuya fixed his stance and apologized to the spiky-haired boy, but only as a formality. He was the Crown Prince so they went according to his schedule. 

Gouenji shook his head and smiled kindly. “No, you’re wrong. His Highness can never be late.” Even Gouenji knew that. “And it is still my wish for you to call me Shuuya, we are no strangers after all.” And the truth hit Atsuya hard. 

“I’m sorry, Shuuya.” Atsuya was made to apologize one more time. He then walked to Gouenji and after a friendly hug, he sat on the guest seat of Gouenji’s room. There was a small table placed between the two chairs, and it had an organized chessboard on it.

Gouenji raised his eyebrow, staring at the Crown Prince. Never before had he seen his friend acting this way. The boy then turned towards Atsuya’s personal maid and smiled kindly at her. He wished to have a moment alone with his friend. 

Without any questions, Hitomi bowed and left the room. “If you want something, feel free to call me.” She said before closing the door. It hinted clearly that she was going to wait outside the room. 

Answering with a nod, Gouenji then turned to his friend. He too sat down on his seat, but did not say anything to the other boy. Minutes passed by as they remained silent with Gouenji staring at Atsuya who was staring at the floor. With every passing second the silence became more deathful and Gouenji wasn’t sure how he could break it anymore. 

Finally, the silence was broken by Atsuya. His eyes slowly wandered up and paused at the chessboard. Slowly but surely his hand then raised and he took hold of a white pawn and moved it forward by two squares. 

The white-haired boy smirked and moved his black colored pawn forward. Once Atsuya started playing chess, it was a sign that he was ready to start a conversation. For that very reason Gouenji always had his chessboard on a table whenever he was meeting the Crown Prince. 

The pink-haired boy stared at the board, and finally made his move. 

He moved his knight forwards. 

“So, how is His Majesty’s condition? Anything new?” Gouenji asked while moving his black knight forward to attack Atsuya’s pawn.

The young Prince raised his head from the board and glared at his friend. Out of all the questions, he just had to start the conversation with the worst possible one. Was he doing it on purpose, knowing how much Atsuya hated it? 

Atsuya then turned his attention back to the board and saved his pawn from Gouenji’s knight by moving it forward one square. “He’s the same as usual, still lying in his bed like always. The very same thing he has been doing for six years already.” The Prince answered after letting go of the chess piece. 

Gouenji had expected him to say as much. After all it was exactly the same answer he had given every single time Gouenji had asked him. It seemed that the Prince would never learn. “I see… Have you decided to take the place as the next King yet?” The white-head continued questioning while moving his chess piece forward. 

The response was the same as earlier. 

At first Atsuya glared at his friend, but then moved his attention back to the board and moved his piece. “By the way… I heard that you’re getting married soon, congratulations!” was Atsuya’s weak and obvious attempt to change the subject. 

Gouenji noticed this, and assumed that his friend had absolutely no desire to take his father’s place yet. Well, being crowned as the next King at the age of 16, Gouenji wouldn’t want that to happen to himself either. Especially if his father was still alive. 

In the end, Gouenji decided to let the topic be and replied to his friend. “Thanks. I summoned you here to tell you the news, but it seems that the rumors reached you before me.” He let out a light laugh and changed his pose to a more comfortable one. 

“Father said that it was about time for me to find a bride, after all I’m turning 16 soon. Just about the same time he was visiting Atlantis and ended up saving the life of a Princess. As a thanks the Queen promised her daughter's hand to me.” Gouenji chuckled lightly, crimson accompanying his cheeks.

It wasn’t particularly a surprise that Gouenji was getting married to a member of a Royal family. His father was a Duke of Fureku, one of the five named Dukes of the Kingdom of Snow – that included Atsuya himself. Gouenji himself held a position as the Count of Koharu and even his sister was to receive a landed title after her debutante ball. Everyone in the family held an influential position in the Kingdom of Snow. 

Atsuya listened to his friends’ explanation, commented with a short “You’re right,” and moved his chess piece. His whole attention was on the chess game, and Gouenji’s words were like thin air to him. He even completely ignored the part about Gouenji getting married to a princess. 

Gouenji’s next question caught Atsuya off-guard. 

“So, have you found yourself a suitable bride yet?” Gouenji asked with a smirk on his face. It was payback from earlier, when Atsuya had changed the topic all of a sudden. Well, the topic he had chosen was cutting off his nose to spite his face. 

Atsuya raised his head, his eyes widening in shock and his head started slowly blowing up as soon as he realized the topic. He had never thought about something like marriage. Gouenji couldn’t help but to smile at his friend’s reaction. It was far too adorable. “You should know very well, that a King without a Queen isn’t liked much by the citizens.” He then continued, making his move to force Atsuya’s rook back. 

With that statement Gouenji was right. A King without a Queen wasn’t held in as high regard as a King with a Queen. It was like he was only half of himself, and the wife was to fill the other side. 

Atsuya sighed. “No, I haven’t. And to tell the truth, marrying someone hasn’t even crossed my mind. My primary mission is to get my father cured and have him rule the kingdom. I have not even once thought of ruling the kingdom while my father is alive, which is why I haven’t bothered myself with searching for a suitable bride.” The Crown Prince answered. 

Somehow, they were back to talk about his father. The King had been ill for years and his condition was so bad that he rested in bed most of the time. For years they had tried to search for a cure for his illness, but not even the best doctors of the kingdom knew what was wrong with him. 

Despite all the effortless searches, Atsuya was determined to find a cure for his father’s disease. 

“And exactly where would I find a girl, who would agree to marry me?” Atsuya added with a sour voice. 

Gouenji raised his eyebrow ready to burst into laughter. Didn’t that stupid Prince know, that almost every girl in the kingdom was yearning to marry him, because he was the Crown Prince? Had the years spent with his personal maid lowered his self-esteem to the point he had a tendency to forget how much power he actually had? 

In the end the only problem with finding a suitable bride, is that would she end up loving him or the money? Gouenji tried to think of all the female’s he knew, in order to find a suitable bride for his friend. Someone who was able to handle his quick temper and messed up personality, whereas not caring about the money and the status. 

Then it hit him. Indeed, there was a person who would surely marry His Highness without the thought of money and power in her mind. 

“Check.” Atsuya stated and moved his queen to attack Gouenji’s king. The white-head answered his friend’s offensive move by eating Atsuya’s queen with his bishop. Finally, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

“Say Atsuya?” He questioned Atsuya, who was contemplatively thinking about his next move while dropping the formalities. The prince then raised his head, looking confused and glanced at his friend. 

The next question made Atsuya wonder if Gouenji had finally gone mad. 

"How about marrying Anami-kun?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The flowers in Hitomi’s garland have a meaning in Japanese hanakotoba “language of flowers”. They are all meant to represent Hitomi’s feelings towards Atsuya. Anemone means sincere, yellow camellia is for longing while daffodils represent respect. Daisies are flowers of faith, morning glories have a willful promise whereas zinnias represent loyalty. Finally, sweet peas are meant for goodbyes. 
> 
> 2\. Not trying to make Mary-sue out of Hitomi here. The name Hitomi means “pupil of an eye” and is usually given to children with beautiful eyes. Don't worry, this won't be mentioned as often as in here.

**Author's Note:**

> All comments and kudo's are very welcome!


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